Fuel composition and method of producing the same.



LYMAN RESSEGIUE PALMER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FUEL COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

ceases.

1\To Drawing.

T '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN REssneIUn PALMER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented and discovered a new and useful FuelComposition and Method of Producing the Same, of which the following isa specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a superior fuel fromcarbonaceous matter of various kinds, such as anthracite coal,bituminous coal, lignite, and the like, and to provide satisfactorycheap, economical and advantageous means for briqueting such substances.

It is a principle of this invention to combine with the carbonaceoussubstance any substance or compound that will serve not only as a binderto unite the particles of the carbonaceous substance into a solid bodywhen the mass is compressed into a briquet, but will also supply to thecarbonaceous substance in a requisite manner, elements that will, underactive combustion, free the thermal units contained in the mass and makethe same immediately available for heating purposes with comparativelysmall condensation of the fuel gases in the form of smoke or soot.

A characteristic of lignite is that in the combustion of the same byordinary methods, creosote is liberated and carried ofi in the air.

An object of this invention is to burn lignite without liberatingdeleterious or disagreeable gases.

A further object of this invention is to provide for naval and marineuse, a safe fuel that is high in thermal units and that is not subjectto deterioration through atmospheric or climatic action, or to change ofcondition or form at temperatures to which the fuel is liable to besubjected under usual conditions of storage.

By this invention it becomes possible to reduce slack coal, lignite, andother fuel to a form highly valuable for fuel purposes, and to makeavailable within a given bulk or Weight a superior amount of heat units.

In carrying out this invention any of the carbonaceous substances abovenamed may be first reduced by grinding or otherwise to a fine granularor pulverulent condition, so as to pass through a 20 mesh or finerscreen. After being so reduced I treat it in such a Specification ofLetters Patent. Application filed March 13, 1908. Serial No. 420,955.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

manner as to thinly coat the surface of the particleswith a combustiblebinder. After the coating of the particles has been accomplished themass is compressed in the usual manner to briquets of the desired size.

The proportions of the carbonaceous substances and the binder will varywith the various characters of material treated. As, for example, inproducing this new fuel from lignite found in North Dakota theproportions of the lignite and binder are about 90 per cent. of thelignite and 10 per cent. of the binder; while in producing the fuel fromanthracite coal, the proportion of binder is increased, and in producingfuel from bituminous coal the proportion of binder is decreased ascompared with that stated for lignite.

In order to distribute the binder through out the finely-dividedcarbonaceous matter, I use for a binder a composition containing anasphaltum or a pitch, or a composition of an asphaltum and a pitch,together with a suitable grease such as the low-grade lubricants frommineral oil that are semi-solid at ordinary atmospheric temperatures.

I will now describe the preferred manner of carrying out mynewly-invented method of producing my newly-invented fuel compositionfrom slaked lignite.

Take pulverized lignite, 85 parts, pulverized asphaltum 10 parts andpulverized black pitch or Burgundy pitch 5 parts by weight and mix themass thoroughly. This may be done in a closed cylinder with suitablestirring devices inside. When thoroughly mixed the mass may be heatedsufliciently to liquefy the asphalt and pitch. The heat may be appliedby a superheated steam coil near the bottom of the cylinder to raise thetemperature to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When the asphalt and pitchare liquefied, add to the mass a quantity of grease equal to about 3% ofthe asphalt and pitch. This may be done by heating the grease andinjecting it in liquid form into the lower part of the hot mass,whereupon the grease unites with the asphaltum and fluxes the same andthe particles of the lignite become completely covered with a thin coatof the binder formed of the asphalt, pitch and grease compoundedtogether. When this has occurred, the mass is ready for briqueting byany of the ordinary methods. After briquets have been made, the fuel isready to be burned in the ordinary method of burning coal. The compactedcomposition resulting from briqueting is character ized as a solidifiedmass comprising carbonaceous particles completely covered respectivelywith a thin coat of asphal-tum or its equivalent, and grease compoundedtogether. My experiments indicate that a chemical change takes placeupon adding the grease to the hot mixture.

I have in some instances taken the proportions of ingredients abovestated and have heated the ligniteby itself and have then melted theasphalt and then added the pitch to the same and melted the pitch andthen mixed the melted asphalt and pitch with the lignite, and have thenmelted the grease and poured the same onto the hot mass of ligniteasphalt and pitch; whereupon an ebullition took place and the massincreased in bulk and took on a yeasty appearance, except as to colorand shortly subsided. No additional heating and adding of grease willcause a return of the yeasty condition first noted. I find that briquetsthus made from lignite show the following results as compared with thelignite :thermal units, centigrade, 2333 for the lignite and 3687 forthe briquets; ash left in furnace, lignite 183% briquet 17%; ash of thelignite retains shape of the lignite and contains carbon; ash of thebriquet is a light powder easily carried away by draft. The ligniteproduced most heat at the beginning of combustion. The briquetmaintained more uniform heat throughout combustion. Gases of the lignitedo not oxidize readily; those of the briquet oxidize easily. The ligniteemits creosote during combustion, the briquet does not.

I have taken bituminous coal 92-;- parts by weight and asphaltum 7 71;parts by weight with a suitable amount of grease added to the meltedasphalt in the manner above detailed and have then mixed the same withthe bituminous coal and have thereby pro duced from bituminous coal afuel that under combustion emits at the initial stage of combustion asmall volume of smoke as compared to that which the coal treatedproduces in its natural state under the same conditions and the emissionof such smoke quickly ceases and thereafter the mass will burn after themanner of anthracite coal. The same quantities of natural coal and abriquet of the composition manufactured from such coal and the otheringredients named, will when burned under the same conditions continueto burn for a period of 21 minutes for the coal and a period of 45minutes for the briquet.

To make the new composition from anthracite coal the proportion ofbinder may be considerably increased.

I do not limit myself to exact proportions; some materials will requirea greater proportion of the binder than others. Nor, do I limit myselfto the use of any specific form of bitumen or asphalt or to any specifickind of pitch, the essential feature being that with the melted asphaltor asphalt and pitch, a quantity of grease is applied to flux theasphalt and cause the same to flow over and thoroughly coat the solidparticles of carbonaceous matter.

The binder compound may be made of asphalt and the grease without thepitch, or of pitch and the grease without the asphalt; suitableproportions of carbonaceous matter and binder being used within thejudgment of the workman versed in the art as heretofore practiced; theuse of the grease bein the essential feature of this invention antdiscovery. The use of the grease results in forming a composition thatcan be formed into firm briquets with comparatively slight pressure,that exerted by a bench vise operated by hand being suflicient forbriquets one and one half inches in diameter. A further result is anotable increase of heat units made available.

I regard the asphalt and the pitch as substantial equivalents. One mayhave some points of advantage over the other, and vice versa. Thepurpose of using the pitch and asphalt as stated is to get a cheapstrong binder with minimum cost.

By using the flux the compacted briquet is caused to burn evenly withoutfalling apart and without burning out the binder before the bodyingredient is practically consumed.

I claim l. A fuel composition characterized as a solidified mass ofparticles of carbonaceous material, said particles being covered with athin coat of asphalt-um and grease compounded together substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. A fuel briquet consisting of a solidified and compacted masscharacterized as consisting of particles of carbonaceous mate rial andasphaltum and grease compounded together in the proportionssubstantially specified.

8. The method of producing fuel composition which consists in mixingtogether pulverized coal or other carbonaceous material and asphaltum,or pitch, or both, and submitting the mixture to heat, then injectingheated grease into the lower part of the mass, causing the asphaltum toflux and combine with the carbonaceous material and then pressing themass into blocks or briquets.

4. The method set forth of producing a fuel composition by means of theinjection of hot grease into a mixture of carbonaceous material andasphaltum.

5. A fuel briquet composed of the admix ture of 85 parts of carbonaceousmaterial,

15 parts of asphaltum, 5 parts of pitch submitted to a temperature of400 degrees Fahrenheit until liquefied, fiuxed by the injection of threeper cent. of melted grease, and formed into blocks.

6. The method of producing a fuel composition which consists inpulverizing and fusing asphaltum by the injection of heated grease andthen mixing the same with carbonaceous material.

7. The method set forth of producing a fuel briquet which consists inpulverizing

